Soda dispensing fountain



Dec. 15, 1931. F. B. HUNT SODA DISPENSING FOUNTAIN Filed June 19. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet llll ll lllllllllll |||||l llll lllllllll' llllllll llllllllllllalllllll|||l|l||| lllllll.

I N VEN TOR. flan/2Z1 5159127 5 B Y illlllllllllllllllllllltlllllll l l I I l l l I I l 1| r ATTORNEYJ Dec. 15, 1931. NT

SODA DISPENSING FOUNTAIN Filed June 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VEN TOR flank/105152171,

A TTORN E Y5 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANKLIN B. HUNT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIQUID CAR-BONIC COR- PORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SODA. DISPENSING FOUNTAIN Application filed June 19,

The object of my invention is to provide simple means for adequately refrigerating that portion of a soda-water dispensing counter wherein are kept for ready dispensing the various flavoring syrups and a supplv of chipped ice.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a dispensing counter embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section closely adjacent the chipped-ice container;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section closely adjacent one of the syrup containers; and

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the mechanical refrigerating system.

In the drawings 9 indicates a suitably insulated refrigerator casing containing a nonfreezing low-temperature storage compartment 10. a freezing-temperature storage compartment 11 for brick ice cream and the like two freezing-temperature compartments 12. 12 for the storage of bulk ice cream and a water-retaining low-temperature compartment 13 in the upper portion of the structure for the reception of dispensing-containers 14 for syrups and a dispensing-container 15 for chipped ice.

The compartment 10 is refrigerated by a relatively high pressure boiler 20 of the c0nstant-level type in which a constant liquid level is maintained bv a float valve 21. The compartments 11 and 12 are refrigerated by a relatively low pressure boiler 22 of the constant level type in which a constant liquid level is maintained by a float valve 23, compartment 11 being surrounded to its bottom by brine in a compartment 24 and compartments 12, 12 being surrounded only near their tops by brine in a collar compartment 25 com municating with compartment 24 so that the temperature in the lower part of compartment 11 will be lower than the temperature in the lower parts of compartments 12. 12.

The vapor chambers in the upper parts of boilers 20 and 22 are connected by a pipe 26 in which is a regulating valve 27 which insures maintenance of a higher vapor pressure in boiler 20 than in boiler 22 and be- 1930. Serial No. 462,215.

tween this valve 27 and boiler 22 pipe 26 is connected by pipe 28 with the suction side of compressor 29. Compressor 29 delivers refrigerant to a condenser 30 which, in turn delivers it through pipe 31 and float valve 21 to boiler 20. Automatic starting means of the usual well-known character (not shown) is provided for automatically starting the compressor when the vapor pressure in boiler 20 or 22 attains a desired maximum and for stopping the compressor when the vapor pressure has been sufliciently reduced. Leading from below the liquid level in boiler 20 is a pipe 35 which is carried up into and through the lower part of compartment 13 and thence to the float valve 23 as described in, my Patent 1,746,896, or said pipe 35 may be connected to pipe 31 and be provided with an expansion valve as described in said patent.

A constant water level, lower than the bottom of the chipped-ice container 15, is maintained in compartment 13. by a drain pipe 36 (Fig. 2) having a properly located hole 37 in its side, this water level being above the bottoms of the syrup containers 14 and above those portions of pipe 35 immediately adjacent containers 14. A portion of pipe 35 immediately adjacent the chipped-ice container 15 is bent upwardly (Fig. 2) so as to lie above the water level in compartment 13.

The liquid refrigerant for boiler 22 is supplied through pipe at a pressure exceeding the normal working pressure of boiler 22 and that portion of pipe 35 which traverses compartment 13 is not heat-insulated so that it may serve as a boiler for this compartment.

In operation. a small body of ice 40 (Fig. 3) gradually accumulates in compartment 13 around the submerged portions of pipe 35 until a temperature balance is attained, a low temperature suitable for the contents of the syrup cans 14: being also attained, but in the immediate neighborhood of the uu submerged portion of pipe 35 immediately adjacent the chipped-ice compartment, the temperature of compartment 13 will be higher than the temperature adjacent the ice body and consequently the contents of the chipped ice compartment will be protected by a nonfreezing atmosphere closely adjacent but above the freezing point so that the chipped ice will be conserved as much as possible without permitting such coalescence thereof as would interfere with the easy dispensing thereof.

I claim as my invention:

A soda fountain comprising a refrigerator casing having various refrigerating com partments one of which is provided with means establishing a fixed upper limit for the level of water therein, a plurality of individual containers mounted in said last-mentioned compartment, some of which extend below the water level and some of which extend only to a point above the water level, a mechanical refrigerating means mounted in said casing and comprising a refrigerant conduit leading through said water retaining compartment with a portion thereof adjacent the deeper containers below the water level and a portion thereof adjacent the shallower containers above the water level.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thirty.

FRANKLIN B. HUNT 

